“Go get them, let’s—“
“I said no!”
Fire coursed through her fingertips, the flames licking at her skin, but she didn’t feel the heat. All she felt was ice in her blood, even as she lifted her hand and stared at it in wonder. That was...new. Normally otherthingsburst into flames, but fire from her hands? That was...
“Violet,” he snapped, his patience clearly thinning. He was always a patient boy, but that must have faded with age. “I’m tryin’ here. Tryin’ real hard. But just bein’ here, seein’ you, smellin’ you... my wolf is fightin’ at the surface, beggin’ to get out. He’s ready to tear it all apart, all of my self restraint, all of my—“
“Then let it out,” she retorted, her words carrying their own bite. “You said you couldn’t shift anymore, so let it out!”
Henrik chuckled, dark and deep, clearly amused but not finding any joy in her words. He shook his head as he took a few steps away, and ran his hand over his cropped hair. “You don’t get it. I don’t mean shiftin’, Vi. I mean... I mean I’m ready to tear you apart. Ready to forget everythin’ about askin’ permission and consent. I’m ready to pick you up, press you against that wall there, andmakeyou give in to me, because for someone so damned smart, you sure are actin’ stupid. You think I give a shit about the flames? I’ve loved you longer than I knew what livin’ was, and livin’ without you is fuckin’ killin’ me.”
“Get out,” she snapped, even as her heart began to race, and her very core pulsed. She wanted that. Wanted him to push through the barrier. Wanted him to pick her up and press her against the wall, wanted him to sink his teeth into her skin, wanted him to grind his cock against her cunt, wanted to find pleasure in him, wantedeverythingwith him.
She didn’t want him to leave, but she desperately needed him to, before he could smell her lust and her want.
Because if he got his hands on her... it would be over for them both. The flames burning in her fingertips and across her skin would set them both ablaze.
“Get out,” she repeated, and took a step back from him as she raised her hand. “Look at this. Look at what happens when we’re together. What happens if we touch? It’s getting worse! Every time you’re in here, it’s getting worse! You think a glove is going to be enough? You and I need a continent between us, for everyone’s safety.”
For your safety.
All of the fire in Henrik’s eyes faded just as the fire on her skin disappeared, and he took another step back, shaking his head. He seemed to be shaking it clear, perhaps, although she couldn’t know for certain. All she did know was that he was pulling away, and the fire in her soul was slowly fading.
He shook his head again, hard enough she could imagine something rolling around in there, and nearly took a step forward as concern overtook her. What was he doing, and why was he shaking his head like a dog?
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “Can’t believe I just...”
“What?”
“I think... I think I’m losin’ it,” he muttered. He shook his head a final time, then raised his hand towards her, as though to stop her. “Fuck. Stay away from me.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” she scoffed, even as her body ached to move forward.
Forward and back, away and together, and fuck, why couldn’t she just make up her mind? She knew the distance was for the best, so why was she seeming to lose her shit?
“Fuck,” he grumbled again. “Fuckin’—“
Alright, now she really was concerned.
He stumbled into the front door, then pushed it open and stumbled out onto the sidewalk, his head still bent and his hands on either side of his head. If she didn’t know any better, she would think he was drunk, or worse, had suffered some sort of an injury. What was wrong with him? Why was he holding and shaking his head? Why was he—
A rush of cold flooded through her, worse than the ice in her veins, because now it was every part of her body. Her muscles felt like stone, her skin prickled from the cold, and even her fingertips that had only just been on fire felt nearly blue.
The cold from before, from earlier... it was back, and worse than ever.
Why had he pushed so hard? Why was he struggling like that? And why were her fingertips...
More questions that didn’t have an answer. She was sick of it. Sick of all of this.
The front door opened and she looked up to see Drake’s client, forcing her to clear her thoughts and emotions. Right, because this was her place of business, and she needed to actually act like a professional. Even though it felt like her world was falling apart around her, she still had to have somethingafterHenrik eventually left. She still had to have a future.
“Hey, give me a minute and I’ll grab Drake,” she faked, plastering a smile over her lips.
“No rush, but uh... hey, you don’t look so good.”
Her teeth chattered together from the cold, but she tried to shake it off. Back upstairs for a shower, and then... was she really going to call her mother again about the whole fire finger thing, or was she just going to assume it wouldn’t pop up again so long as Henrik stayed away?
“You know that’s not polite to say to a lady,” Drake drawled as he walked into the front room. “Even if it is Violet.”